Our text for today is the Gospel reading, but especially these words, “So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.’”
We all know how important first impressions can be. In some cases, first impressions can be the sole factor in one’s opinion of another. However, we also know that first impressions are not everything. In fact, for some people and in some circumstances it may take a considerable amount of time to come to any kind of conclusion about another person.
This may be true for a number of different reasons. Some people may not be too quick to open up, not affording us the opportunity to come to any conclusions one way or the other. However, I think many times it has to do with us. We aren’t always too quick to decide one way or the other. Sometimes I think this has to do with the fact that we have been burned in the past. Those we thought could be trusted, only later show us that we really didn’t know them as well as we thought we did. Or think of how cautious parents might be when meeting their daughter’s new boyfriend. It might take much more than a good first impression to convince them to trust him.
Well, in our text for today, we see that some of the Jews who were in Jerusalem for the Feast of Dedication were really undecided – maybe even in doubt, when it came to the person of Jesus. “How long will you keep us in suspense?” Interestingly enough, the word used here for “suspense” is actually the verb “to lift up”. It appears that many were still up in the air concerning the person of Jesus and whether or not He was the Christ.
But Jesus’ response to them really points out that their uncertainty had more to do with them than it did Him. Though some were suggesting that He was somehow dodging the issue, Jesus argues that He has been anything but vague in telling them Who He is. In fact, on a number of occasions He had clearly identified Himself; doing so not only in word, but also in works. More than once He had declared Himself to be the Son of God. Time and time again He gave them signs of His divine nature through the working of miracles. But even after all of this, there were still many who did not believe. There were still those who were up in the air.
Now, to give them some credit, this could have been true because of past experiences. I think it is fair to say that before Jesus, there were others who had been lifted up as the Messiah. Many of these same people had probably experienced shattered hopes in the past. We remember that some from the Jewish community were even identifying John the Baptist as the Christ; an assertion to which John responded.
In the Gospel of Luke we read, “As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, ‘I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.’” Jesus was the One of Whom John spoke. His Sonship was testified to at His own baptism; when the heavens opened and a voice declared Jesus to be the Son of God.
And even with all these signs, and all these witnesses, the people demanded more. They argued all they would need from Him was a straightforward, clear and decisive declaration of Who He was. So what did Jesus do? He satisfied their request. No clearer statement could have been made than the one Christ gave them that day: “‘I and the Father are one.’”
Christ was more than willing to speak plainly. Even though He knew these honest and straightforward statements would lead people to reject Him and ultimately crucify Him, He had no problem putting the truth out there. And He did it on a number of occasions.
In chapter 8 of John we read, “‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ So the Pharisees said to him, ‘You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.’ Jesus answered, ‘Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.’”
Jesus was never really one to beat around the bush, as some seem to be arguing. He spoke plainly. So their rejection of Him had nothing to do with whether or not Jesus was upfront about Himself, but it had everything to do with them.
Now I have very little doubt that everyone here today knows at least one person who is still “up in the air” when it comes to Jesus. However, let’s say some of us really can’t think of anyone. We know they are out there nonetheless. One might even argue that this is more true today than has ever been the case, at least in the United States.
Now it would be easy just to sit back and suggest that these people have rejected Christ, that they just are not part of the sheepfold. However, one first has to ask the question, “has the truth of Jesus been told to them?” Not the truth dressed up nicely so it is less offensive to them. Not the truth watered down to meet today’s standards of what is and is not a form of proselytizing. Have they ever been told of Christ by one who has the courage to speak plainly? Unfortunately, I think we too often fail to do that.
This failure is a problem that existed even during the days of Christ. In chapter 7 of John we read, “And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, ‘He is a good man,’ others said, ‘No, he is leading the people astray.’ Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.”
Speaking plainly isn’t always the easiest thing to do. Even the apostle Paul reflects on the challenge he faced when called to speak plainly in his ministry. But faced with the task, faced with the threat of being rejected and even suffering death himself, Paul says to the elders at Ephesus, “I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.”
Paul’s willingness to do this was not because he was more of an extrovert than most, but rather he knew that no one could come to know Christ, the Good Shepherd, without the truth being spoken plainly to them. No one can belong to the fold without Christ being revealed to them.
This is true for all people, even for all of us. Whether it happened when we were infants, at our baptisms when the Spirit placed in our hearts that conclusive, firm faith; or later in life, when someone shared the message of Christ with us, we have all heard the truth of Christ plainly. By nature, we were all once “up in the air” when it came to the person of Jesus. None of us was born with this knowledge and faith. We were, each of us, brought into the fold at some point in our lives.
Consider those in scripture who were not yet completely sold on Christ – not, that is, until He entered their lives. We know the story of Zacchaeus. Here is a man who was very curious about the person of Jesus. So curious that he actually climbed up into a tree just to see Jesus as he walked by. In a lot of ways, you get the feeling that Zacchaeus hadn’t yet come to any conclusions about Jesus. In fact, any conclusions he did have of Him would need correction. Zacchaeus probably assumed that Jesus would never want anything to do with Him. Considering that he was a tax collector, one who had become rich through unfair practices, not too many Jews would have anything to do with him.
But notice that when Jesus comes to Zacchaeus, He meets him where he is, namely while he is in the air, aloft a sycamore tree. We, of course, don’t know all that they spoke about that day. But no doubt, Jesus spoke plainly. Zacchaeus promised to repay four times whatever he has cheated anyone out of.
Or what about the thief on the cross? Another man whom Jesus meets in the air. This man however, was lifted up on a cross. Another sinner with whom very few people, if any, would have any desire to associate. A man who had broken so many of God’s commandments that his death sentence, unlike Christ’s, was viewed as fair and just. But it was while he was in the air that he came to know Christ. It was while he was lifted up on that cross that this sinner was reached, and where Jesus promised him eternal life.
This is the Christ we know; this is the Shepherd Who has made Himself known to us. The One Who has come to us in our own doubt, our own sinning, and speaks plainly words of forgiveness and salvation. The Shepherd Who lifts us up when we are walking on shaky ground. The Shepherd Who supports us when we are faced with temptation and challenges in our own lives.
This is the Shepherd we follow. The Good Shepherd Who laid down His life for us. The Good Shepherd Who leads and guides us. The One Who is continuously calling us to receive grace and mercy from His hands. This is spoken plainly to us through the Spirit, it is plainly visible as we eat His body and drink His blood. Therefore, let us always be ready and willing to meet others in the air, with the plain and powerful truths concerning Christ: that He came to save all people, and now calls us into His fold. May this be true for all of us. AMEN.
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